Reinstatement of road centreline markings following surface dressing treatment

LEICESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCILHIGHWAYS FORUM FOR BLABY9 TH JANUARY 2013REPORT AGENDA ITEM 14REINSTATEMENT OF ROAD CENTRE LINE MARKINGS FOLLOWINGSURFACE DRESSING TREATMENTREPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENT AND TRANSPORTPurpose of Report1. The purpose of this report is to inform Members of criteria under whichconsideration may be given to not replacing road centre lines following surfacedressing treatment.Background2. Each time a road is surface dressed, an exercise is undertaken to record thelength, type and location of all the road markings on the section prior to thetreatment. Following treatment, these lines then have to be re-laid in the correctlocation. This can be a time-consuming exercise.3. If, under certain controlled circumstances, the road centre lines are not replacedfollowing surface dressing, there would be a small saving in time and the cost ofmaterials on those roads, and further small savings each time the road issubsequently surface dressed.4. In addition to saving money, there is a positive effect on the character of thelocation, especially in rural areas or areas of historic importance.Safety Considerations5. Without a centre line, a road appears narrower. If drivers have no defined area ofcarriageway that is ‘their half’, studies show that they will slow down to reduce theirperceived risk of a collision.6. In 2003, Wiltshire County Council commissioned the Transport ResearchLaboratory (TRL) and the Civil Engineering and Environmental ManagementAssociates (CEEMA) to investigate the effects of removing centre white lines. Thisfollowed the removal of lines from a number of roads in Wiltshire, and concernsbeing raised subsequently about the potential safety implications.7. The commission examined all evidence available, and resulted in the production ofa document entitled “An evaluation of the effect of removing centre white lines”.1E:\moderngov\data\published\Intranet\C00000698\M00003708\AI00033387\$abhsb4ax.doc

8. The document reached the conclusion that, in the absence of a white centre line,uncertainty is created which encourages drivers to reduce their speed. Specifically,the evidence showed that drivers• Travel closer to the kerb-line• Adopt a more stable lateral position on the road• Have a 40% increase in lateral separation from oncoming traffic• Reduce their speed when they are close to oncoming vehicles• Travel marginally slower when they are close to oncoming vehicles comparedto drivers on a road with a centre line9. Significantly, the Wiltshire experiments also produced a 35% reduction in accidentrate.Criteria10. Before the non-replacement of any section of centre line is considered, the roadmust meet a set of criteria that assess its suitability. The road must:• not be an A or B classification(A and B roads form the strategic road network of Leicestershire, so theremoval of centre lines would not normally be appropriate)• be in a village or village-like setting(this provides the greatest benefit in terms of speed reduction andimprovement of the rural environment)11. Other factors that must be considered on a site-by-site basis are:• Road width – if a road is, or appears to be, very wide, the removal oflines may have an adverse effect as speeds may increase• Carriageway construction – if the carriageway is ‘un-restrained’, i.e. ithas no kerbs, consideration must be given to the potential adverseeffect of extra wear on the haunches and subsequent increasedmaintenance which would negate the cost savings of not replacing acentre line. In some instances, it may prove cost effective to replace (oradd) just edge markings in order to reduce speeds and protect thehaunches.• Street lighting – if street lighting is present, whether it will cause asignificant difference to the evaluation of the site if it is subsequentlyswitched off. If street lighting is not present whether removing thecentrelines may cause a hazard• Fog – if the proposed location is in a known fog-prone area then liningcould be essential to safe movement of vehicles12. Lines will not be removed in the vicinity of a hazard, such as a bend or junction.Procedure13. Once a location is considered suitable using the above criteria, the following will beundertaken:• the collection of all relevant information prior to any work (speed oftraffic, location of all existing road markings etc.).2E:\moderngov\data\published\Intranet\C00000698\M00003708\AI00033387\$abhsb4ax.doc

• the gathering of accident data over an area extending several hundredmetres beyond the boundary of the proposed removal. If there havebeen any accidents in the area, they will be analysed by the accidentinvestigation team in order to ascertain whether the removal of thecentre line may have a positive or negative effect.• the consideration of pedestrian and vehicle safety, environmental andcost benefits of changing the markings and the possible need for furthersigning14. Once a site is confirmed as suitable, notifications will be sent to the parish anddistrict councils (as appropriate), the local County Councillor, the police and anyother stakeholders.15. Following completion of the work, the road will be monitored to assess any changesto vehicle speed and accident rates.Financial Appraisal16. If a road is to be considered for the non-reinstatement of its centre lines, there willbe initial work required to assess the potential site and carry out the necessarynotifications. This may cost more than the work normally required to ensure thereinstatement of the lining ‘as is’. However, there would be a subsequent reductionin costs each time the road is surface dressed and also a reduction in maintenancecosts due to there being less lining.17. There is therefore not a significant financial saving to be made by not replacingroad centre lines following surface dressing.Environmental Appraisal18. By not replacing centre lines following surface dressing, there is a positive effect onthe character of the location, especially in rural areas or areas of historicimportance.19. Whilst not affecting the physical landscape, the removal of centre lines contributesto the spirit of the Government’s request to remove unnecessary ‘street clutter’.Legal Implications20. All lines on the highway must conform to the traffic signs regulations and generaldirections, but this states the standard to be adopted only if the highway authoritydecides that markings are appropriate for that location.21. Road centre lines, even where used, are not subject to a traffic regulation order.Therefore, there are no legal implications of a decision to consider the removal ofroad centre lines at carefully selected locations.Other Implications22. As the initial work involved at each potential site is over and above the normalworkload of traffic management and accident investigation staff, it is not possible tocommit to a significant program of work. It is proposed that sites are tackled on the3E:\moderngov\data\published\Intranet\C00000698\M00003708\AI00033387\$abhsb4ax.doc

asis of a limited number per year so the extra work can fit in with othercommitments.Current Position in Leicestershire23. Centre lines have already been removed in a few locations in Leicestershire. Thishas normally been as a result of an improvement scheme or accident investigation,rather than for a saving in maintenance costs.24. There are currently 10 recorded locations in the County which previously hadcentre lines but now do not. These locations vary in length between 100 and 1000metres. Eight have a 30mph speed limit and two have a 20mph limit. The sites arelisted below:Village Road Route Length Speed Linesnumber (m) limit removedKilby Main Street C4502 550 20 2001Oadby Knighton Grange Unclassified 550 30 2006RoadQueniborough Main Street C4303 230 30 2007Sharnford Leicester Road B4114 100 30 2009Sileby Cossington Road C5213 800 30 2006Sileby Seagrave Road C5208 1000 30 May 2008Sileby Ratcliffe Road C5216 500 30 Jun 2009Stoughton Gaulby Lane C3403 and 300 20 2003C3401Syston Barkby Lane C3301 300 30 May 2008Thrussington Rearsby Road C5302 200 30 May 200925. As can be seen, the centre lines have been removed at various times, with oneremoval dating back almost 10 years. All these sites have had their recent accidentrecords inspected. Since the removal of the centre lines, there have been no injuryaccidents recorded on any of the stretches listed that could in any way beattributable to the removal of centre lines.26. Leicestershire Constabulary has confirmed that its officers are not aware of anyincidents relating to the removal of the lines.Recommendation27. Members are asked to note the contents of this report.Officer to ContactDavid Wright Tel: (0116) 305 5080Email: david.wright@leics.gov.ukBackground PapersNone.4E:\moderngov\data\published\Intranet\C00000698\M00003708\AI00033387\$abhsb4ax.doc